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Congressional Approval of CBD Made From Hemp May Come Sooner Than You Think

The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee overwhelmingly endorsed the Farm Bill, known also as the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, by a vote of 20 to 1 on June 13.

The debate on Capitol Hill continues regarding Industrial Hemp and the legalization of it. With agricultural bills being approved in many states of the Union, the outlook looks favorable regarding Hemp and CBD extracts made from them. Although it’s a type of cannabis plant like marijuana, hemp does not produce the ''high" of THC. It’s often used in industrial products and also contains cannabidiol, or CBD; much more, in fact, than cannabis or marijuana.

Although CBD is legal in numerous states, the federal government considers it a Schedule I drug and therefore illegal to have. The Farm Bill proposes, among its many provisions, legalizing the CBD that comes from industrial hemp. Currently, growing industrial hemp is legal on a federal level only for research or under a state pilot program in states that have legalized it.

Jonathan Miller, general counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, an industry group, says the Farm Bill includes the Hemp Farming Act, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and endorsed by 25 other senators, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

“It would permanently remove hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, making it an agricultural commodity” rather than a Schedule 1 substance, Miller says. The bill defines hemp as all parts of the plant containing less than 0.3% THC, including extracts, derivatives and cannabinoids (such as CBD) from the cannabis plant. (Read More)

In recent news, states like Indiana, Iowa and others have hemp therapies like CBD Oil at the top of their agendas in the state capitols. Advocates both for and against hemp therapies are debating tirelessly as to whether or not Hemp and medical therapies derived from them should be legalized.

As the political fiascos continue in state capitols across the nation regarding hemp therapies, countless thousands claim to have found the relief they have been looking for from their ailments by using therapies derived from Hemp such as CBD Oil.

Cannabinoid receptors are involved in a series of processes inside the human body, including the regulation of mood, pain sensation, appetite and memory.

These receptors can be activated by endocannabinoids (produced by the human body) as well as by plant cannabinoids (like those found in hemp or cannabis), and they’re grouped in two main categories: CB1 and CB2.

CB1 receptors are found mostly in the central nervous system, and in smaller numbers in the liver, kidneys and lungs, while CB2 receptors are part of the immune system and found in the hematopoietic blood cells as well. CB1 play a role in the production and release of neurotransmitters, cannabis products that exert psychoactive effects stimulating these receptors.

At the same time, CB1 receptors are involved in the lipogenesis process that takes place inside the liver and seem to play a role in the maintenance of homeostasis (body’s internal equilibrium). Various studies suggest that CB1 also influence pleasure, concentration and appetite, memory and pain tolerance.

CB2 receptors on the other hand affect the immune system, being involved in a variety of functions like immune suppression or apoptosis (programmed cell death). Studies suggest that CB2 modulate the pain sensation and could play a role in various diseases, from liver and kidney problems to neurodegenerative diseases.

CBD does not stimulate these two receptors; instead, it activates other receptors, like the vanilloid, adenosine and serotonin receptors. By activating the TRPV-1 receptor for example, cannabidiol plays a role in the mediation of body temperature, pain perception and inflammation. Then, CBD inhibits the FAAH enzyme, a compound that activates the CB1 receptor. By doing so, CBD minimizes the activation of CB1 by THC, reducing its psychoactive effects.

High concentrations of CBD have been shown to activate the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor, exerting anti-depressant effects. The same receptor is involved in a series of processes from pain perception, appetite, nausea and anxiety to sleep and addiction mechanisms.

Finally, CBD blocks CPR55 signaling, decreasing bone re-absorption and cancer cell proliferation. GPR55 is widely present inside the brain, being linked with the modulation of bone density and blood pressure, as well as with cancer cell proliferation.

Even with all the science and research that has been conducted and is being conducted regarding Hemp therapies, there are still nay sayers that are sure that hemp therapies are a thing of evil. If only they would open their eyes.